Sennen Yami no Rockman X
by Iniora Nackatori
Summary: Fact: X is a pansy. Fact: X could not do half of what he’s done by himself. Fact: X has a voice in his head named... Touzoku? Thief King? Wha...? T for Lang Crossover with YuGiOh! IN PROGRESS!
1. Prologue

I've always wondered about how X can stay so calm no matter what he's put through. He's only given up hope once, that being at the end of X8, and every other time he's managed to keep not only his spirits up, but those of his friends, too. That, and he's saved the world, what, nine times at least? And with the exception of a few pouting sessions (...okay, _all_ of X7...), stayed a bright, light individual?

At which point Light translated to Hikari and ran straight into the "_Yu-Gi-Oh!_" marathon I'd been watching for going on six hours straight.

Also note I have no plot for this yet. What I have down now is nothing more than a string of loosely connected one-shots. When it's done, then... Yeah.

Please Read and Review! Feedback Welcome!

Disclaimer: Rockman X / Megaman X is set Pre-Command Mission but Post-X8 (which is going to make for an _interesting_ Command Mission fic...maybe). Yu-Gi-Oh! is set after episode 224. I own neither. The following story is made only for fun -- that, and I've got mild writer's block on the Shooting Stars re-write.

Translation Notes are located at the bottom of the story.

* * *

_**Sennen Yami no Rockman X**_

Prologue: _Questions Asked, Yet Never Answered_

* * *

How did he do it?

Everyone wondered about it at one point or another. There were too many inconsistencies between what his abilities should have been, and what they were. It was a given fact that, if you traveled into the Lion's Den too many times, you _were_ going to be bit. And yet, for all the times he had gone into the mouth of Hell itself, he had always managed to come out with nothing more than a few bruises and maybe, maybe half a limb short. Taking into account his Father, all his armored gifts, and one semi-suicidal _sempai_, and you had answered the riddle as to why he had managed to evade being killed after all those decades on the job.

But everything still did not add up. The overall question was still left unanswered.

He'd seen Hell itself. Looked the Devil in the eyes and told him point blank to go _back_. Faced more monsters in an hour than many men could claim to see in a lifetime. And had done it all again every time Sigma or one of his Virus-infected stooges decided to crawl back out from wherever it was scrap-heaps like them came from.

And every time he came back from war, he came back the same. His soul had gained a scar or two -- no man could live without gaining at least a few Black Marks as that was the nature of life -- but it was the lack of depth on those scars which were the strangest of all. Sure, they had hurt. That was why he was such an insistent pacifist pansy. But they had never gone deep enough to dim _him_. To dim his light. Which brought everyone back to the same question.

How the _hell_ did he do it? How did X stay so... so light?

So... _hikari...?_

And why was it that every time Zero looked at him now, he got the feeling X was a lot older and a _lot_ deadlier than he was normally?

Those few people Zero had asked about his friend and former student's attitude had waved him off, claiming he was overreacting to X being stressed. After a few days of subtly observing him from afar, Zero was forced to agree. X had just been under a lot of stress lately. Putting down the Seventh and Eight Rebellions had taken a lot more out of him than usual.

So if he just kept telling himself that there was nothing wrong with X, then the nasty feeling festering in his gut would eventually leave him alone. ...Right?

* * *

Shadows swam lovingly over decaying stone tablets, weaving their way closer to their ultimate prize. Ghost like creatures moved in time with those strange shadows, floating or crawling, or both, towards what appeared to be a human-shaped beacon of light. They had a good chance this time, they knew. No one save their burning prize and themselves were in the Corridor now.

One ghostly hand was no further than an inch away from taking hold of its goal when _he_ noticed.

Blood red eyes pierced through shadows within a heartbeat. Despite the distance between the handful of ghostly monsters and the almost insane-looking eyes, it was obvious that the creatures were terrified.

A voice purred through shadows like freshly melted chocolate tipped with pure ice.

"I've told you before. He's _mine._"

The creatures shuddered, before shattering like glass.

Footsteps echoed in their wake, echoing in time as the eyes seemed to bounce forward. Shadows parted before them like loyal servants welcoming their king.

The human-shaped being of light winced as consciousness returned. Slowly, as more and more of it awoke, it winced, lifting its -- no, his -- head off of unforgiving stone. It was with a tremendous effort that he managed to get his hands under him. He paused for a moment in an attempt to catch his racing breath and calm his agitated heart. With one great heave, he pushed, attempting to get himself to his feet.

A soft hand, firm yet gentle in its hold, grabbed a hold of him as what felt like the last of his strength left. He looked up, trying to see who this strange aid was.

"Who... Who are you...?"

Eyes that looked like glowing blood framed with pure white spikes of hair seemed to gentle as they looked him over.

"Hum. You're lucky, _yadonushi_. A few seconds later, and you would have met... Ryou-kun..." the strange, chocolate ice-like voice dipped into what sounded almost akin to despair. As quickly as it had saddened, it returned to its "normal" range. "Ah, but as it is, I'd say you managed to survive the Shadow Realm quite nicely. Far better than that now eyeless bastard thought you would, anyway."

The strange glow surrounding him began to dim ever so slightly as strong, ancient arms wrapped around him, supporting his weight and bringing him to his feet. A strange black cloak, the ends of which were frayed and dipped in -- was that blood...? -- wrapped its way around him, pushing him closer to exposed well-toned flesh.

"That didn't..." he winced as he wrestled to his feet. Even with the support of this stranger, standing, much less moving, was a painful process. "That didn't answer my question..."

"_Ma_, my _yadonushi_, you need to go on a diet! You weigh a ton!" the stranger moaned theatrically.

This time as he took a step forward, he managed to get a good look at his strange patron.

His skin was well tanned as though he had lived a lifetime in the desert. A strange scar ran down his right check starting from directly under his eye, looking like some kind of perverted bloody tear. Pure white hair framed his features in spiked locks, giving him the impression of having horns. All of which was entrapped within the face of a fourteen year old boy.

"My little _yadonushi_," the strange fourteen year old look-alike smirked almost sadly, for once looking him eye to eye, "You should not ask questions you do _not_ want an answer to."

After barely a moment to register what the stranger had said, his mystery patron yanked him back to his feet. "Now, come, my little _yadonushi_. No mortal can survive his first trek through the Shadow Realm, even with help, without needing at least a month to recover."

"But... But I...!" The stranger reached over, putting two fingers gently over his lips, effectively silencing him.

"I know you have questions, little X-kun. For now, though, trust in me. Trust in you _Touzoku._"

With those words, whispered in a conspirator's loving tone, X felt his conscious slip away once more. The so called King of Thieves released a minor "Omph!" under his breath as X's full dead weight leaned against in him in one solid blow.

"I supposed I underestimated your exhaustion, then, X-kun," Touzoku muttered, yanking X back into a more maneuverable position.

"Ah, oh well. I suppose I can puppet your body for a few more days without anyone noticing. Well... with the exception of that Zero-sempai. He'd have made a good thief a few millennia ago. Great eye for-" there was a momentary pauses as Touzoku kicked a strange metallic door hard with his foot, nearly dropping X in the process "- detail! Gah! Open up! Stupid door!" He released a long, drawn out sigh.

"We really should fix this Soul Door of yours, _yadonushi_. It's _far_ too difficult to get it open when you're in this condition. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. The harder it is to open, the harder it is for you to get out when you shouldn't."

It was with mutters like those that the King of Thieves and his charge disappeared into a strange, warm whisper of light.

* * *

Now that Zero was thinking about it, X had started acting strange about a week ago...

The two were on a joint mission together, their individual teams working in tandem to track down and take out one _strange_ Maverick. Scattered reports had been coming in from various Hunter and Civilian sources for around a month about how the Maverick had been able to "Steal the souls of its targets". To add to the weirdness, there were also reports of it being able to read another's mind, be that person organic or Reploid. Those rumors had led to the suggestion that the Maverick was a New Generation Reploid who had studied for far too long on hypnotism, making his opponents _think_ that their "souls" had been taken or that their movements were being read.

It took less than two "Soul Stealing" attacks for the Maverick to reach right up there with B Rank. A new record, Zero had teasingly pointed out to his unit.

X had taken the whole of the mission relatively calm. A little calmer than normal, perhaps, since he hadn't started with his whole "Try to be Nice so there can be Peace" pep talk as he normally would have. Then again, this wasn't the first time he had skipped the pep talk -- true, it'd been the first time he'd done it voluntarily, but still...

It was only when X's fourth in command, practically a child who was a genius with strategies, was found comatose missing his left eye that Zero noticed X... change. Everything that was X inverted itself within the span of a single flash of golden light. Everything, including his demeanor, which flipped from calm to calculated homicidal rage.

Thinking on it, Zero was pretty sure that was the first time he'd ever heard X say, "I am going to _rip_ that bastard's soul _straight_ out his (explicative) and feed it to the Shadows!"

...And while it was true X had not, necessarily, been talking to Zero at the time, he had growled just loud enough for Zero to catch it.

* * *

Touzoku gently ran his hand over his _yadonushi_'s strange bed's glass canopy with the patient love of an anaconda. Looking in on his sleeping light, resting as he was with his brownish almost blue hair an ethereal mess and a small, warm smile on his lips, always made him feel warmer as well. He supposed it was a side effect of his bond between Darkness and Light -- something similar had happened before, after all, a lifetime ago...

Mental breaks hit _that_ train of thought faster than any mortal could conceive. Thinking back on his last host was an invitation for disaster. The guilt trips alone would put his new _yadonushi_ into more danger than his Ryou-kin had ever been in.

After all, there was a world of difference between Soul Stealing nutcase Egyptians with mind-controlling magic sticks, and lethally armed titanium reinforced super-soldiers of doom straight out of an old B-Rated movie. Putting those two together had set the stage for "A Whole New Ball Game", as Ryou-kun would have said.

"Ah, my little _yadonushi_, you have _no_ idea what you missed being born two hundred years too late. It was so much _fun_ trying to take over the world. Well... and that one time when I tried to _save_ the world... But that was only once and if it weren't for the fact you're also into the whole 'Save the World' thing, I wouldn't be doing it now as well."

The King of Thieves lazily spun his way through the mismatched maze of wires, toys, games, and occasional doll dressed in well-crafted armor.

"Your time is so strange, _yadonushi_," Touzoku sighed, running his hand over a bleeping computer console. "You know nothing of magic and yet you can wrap souls into steal, securing it with nothing more than hope and electronic life. The world bristles around you with warmth and magic just waiting to be reawakened, and yet the chaos caused by this has driven many of your number mad.

"Not that I can blame them. The Shadows have grown strong enough unwatched these past two hundred years, I'm only surprised we Item Holders weren't called back to it sooner."

He paused for a moment, looking thoughtfully over at his sleeping charge with the strangest look of insanity and concern gracing his fourteen-year-old features.

"But I wonder... if, for your sake, I went too far with that one eyed bastard. I mean, you _could_ argue that, given he had been driven mad by the Sennen Eye, he didn't know what he was doing..." Another second of thought passed before Touzoku tossed his hand back, waving away his concern with a gesture of innocent bloodthirsty glee.

"Nah. He deserved everything he got just for touching one of your own, my _yadonushi_. But for touching you... Oh, no, he did not get _nearly_ the proper level of punishment."

* * *

Whatever had happened before Zero finally managed to catch up to X had been as quick as it had been brutal. There had been scuff marks on the walls made from an odd mix of hand-to-hand combat, plasma blast burns, plasma melee weapon burns, and some strange unidentified slime which almost looked like drool.

X hadn't looked too worse for wear. He still looked pissed, leaning against a nearby wall with his hand clamped down over his leaking Buster. There was damage on his armor consistent with melee and long-distance combat, along with a strange scratch mark just under his right eye.

Considering how their Maverick looked, X had gotten off lucky. The poor bastard looked as though he had died from pure fear. This added in with a _large_ helping of drool and both of his eyes missing made for a strange case.

Zero was just glad his Unit was specialized in combat only, not post-combat analysis.

"He tried to use some kind of device on me. It... it was imbedded in his left eye. I didn't... there wasn't really much of a choice... Whatever it was had started to malfunction and... well..." X's statement, shaky though it was, had remained constant over the weeks leaving little room for doubt.

After all, it was X he was talking about here. The Blue Bomber wouldn't hide anything from anybody unless he had to. Even then, he wouldn't hide it from Zero.

...Yet that festering feeling of disquiet still rang clear in Zero's gut, and only grew stronger with each rationalization.

It finally reached the point where Zero had little choice but to wave X down and talk to him.

"You're over-reacting, Zero," X had smiled, his features normal and light. Yet Zero couldn't shake the feeling there was something shadowed about them...

"Are you sure, X? There's nothing you need to talk about?"

He had stopped trying to dodge Zero there. In fact, he stopped walking all together. X looked his _sempai_ straight in the eye, an expression of seriousness marring his features in a way Zero had rarely seen.

"There _is_ something I need to tell you, Zero, but... I'm not ready yet. Give me some time..."

So he had gotten that far, at least. Now he knew there was something eating away at his friend, just like he had figured. What it was, exactly, he didn't know, but he did know X would speak to him when he was ready.

Just because he knew that did _not_ making waiting any easier.

* * *

"Ah, yes. For touching you, pulling you from my safety straight into the Shadow Realm during our _private_ battle... Oh, no, just loosing his one mortal eye was not _nearly_ enough punishment."

The King of Thieves leaned back against his charge's glass canopy. Reaching up to pet glass covered hair, he sighed, "I apologize for having forced your hand earlier, _yadonushi_. Please understand it was either this, or banishing Zero-sempai to the Shadow Realm. He's too damn observant for his own good."

He stood back up on his own two feet, his mid-back length hair flowing about him with the same gentle caress as winter's first snowfall.

"And besides. One day, I will have to reveal myself to you, and in turn you may have to reveal me to a piece of your world. This way, you now have an ear who will listen fully to your -- and, perhaps, to our -- story. To a story which should have ended millennia ago.

"To the story... of _Yu-Gi-Oh_."

* * *

Translations:

* * *

_Sempai_ -- honored upper classman / senior member of a group. Zero is X's _sempai_ since he is -- by now, make that was -- X's superior.

_Yadonushi_ -- landlord. The King of Thieves lives inside his host, hence he calls X his landlord. He has a variety of ways for paying his "Rent", not all of which are necessarily good for you. If you've watched / read "_Yu-Gi-Oh!_", then you should know who the King of Thieves is. Here's a hint -- his soul is stuck in the Sennen Ring.

_Sennen_ -- millennium.

_Touzoku_ -- Japanese way of saying "King of Thieves"... I think.


	2. Chapter 1

Any conversation occurring in _italics_ without quotes is Little Voice Inside My Head speech. Or... inside of whoever's talking's head... You'll get the idea in a minute.

Thanks go to the only **_three_** people who reviewed this. Honestly, folks, if you read it and _like_ it, drop a review. I don't care if it's only two or less words in length -- just knowing people read it without passing it over as some crackpot idea is more than enough incentive for me to keep writing.

Secondary Note: My Beta's being swamped with homework. That said, there's been no real time to edit this with a second pair of eyes (no pun intended). There may be tiny mistakes. Please forgive me for them.

Third Note: See Catch-All Disclaimer in _Shooting Stars and Reploid Arms_ for tardiness explinations.

That said, enjoy.

* * *

_**Sennen Yami no Rockman X**_

Chapter 1: _Old Fashioned History_

* * *

It had finally happened. A Maverick Rebellion had occurred so quickly and quietly that the world was now over without the Hunters having been rallied to its defense. Any second now, and Sigma or one of his Generals would be broadcasting on all known radio frequencies that they now held all major sectors and there wasn't a damn thing the Hunters could do about it. 

For Axl and Zero were _smirking_, whispering to one another in conspiratorial tones.

Worst of all, their smirks had been kept in reserve until X had entered their silent staging area known as Maverick Hunter HQ cafeteria. This alone spelled out in so many needless words how utterly doomed the world truly was.

The better half of an hour was spent with X trying almost desperately to keep the two not only out of his sights, but himself out of theirs. Considering the cafeteria was nothing more than one giant football-sized enclosed field filled with rows upon rows of benches, this was easier said than done. Eventually, he settled for cover mixed on hiding in the darkest shadows he could find and burying his face deep inside his _The Lord of the Rings: The Complete Trilogy_ hard-sided book.

_Eyes up and open; they're coming your way_.

X stubbornly refused to listen to his Inner Voice this time. According to his chronometer, he still had at least another fifteen minutes before his cover should have given out.

_They _are_ on their way over. You've used this cover one too many times, X._

A few seconds later, and his Inner Voice added, _If you don't want to be snagged, I'd suggest running now._

To which X plainly replied with a simple muttered, "Stow it," before putting his book down and almost glaring at Zero.

"I am not, under any circumstances, come hell or high water, participating in _any_ plan you two have managed to cock together."

The two troublemakers took a conspirator's seat at X's pilfered shadowed table, heedless of the warning. Zero, being the more experienced of the two, managed to hide everything but the excited glimmer in his eyes, whereas Axl was practically radiating juvenile glee. X did his level best to death glare them back into line.

"I mean it." And to prove his point, he returned to studying his book.

_Last time you said that, they _still_ managed to drag you to that, what was it again? Oh yes. A Mixed Bar and Karaoke Stand -- and got you drunk enough to sing, too, though how in Ra's name they managed that, I have no idea._

Despite the fact his Inner Voice was nothing more than an extension of his own psyche which had spent far too much time studying Dr. Cain's theory books on Pre-Light Ancient Egypt, X was heavily tempted to give it a one-fingered salute -- a temptation which seemed to send his Inner Voice rumbling into poorly hidden laughter.

"Seems he doesn't want to know about it, Axl," Zero sighed in mock defeat.

"That's such a shame, too. After all, we _do_ have three tickets to the new Pre-Light Ancient Egyptian exhibit, and with the two of us having absolutely no archeological training, it'd be such a waist to go alone." Axl snickered teasingly.

A new speed record for moving from reading a book to putting it face down and closed on a table was established before Axl had so much as finished his sentence.

"You got tickets to it? That's impossible!"

The younger Hunter removed three slips of cardboard-laced paper from a hidden pocket in his armor. With all the tease of a fat, lazy cat, he slowly began to wag them in front of X's face, chuckling at the way X's eyes followed them as if lost in a hypnotic dream.

_Careful. You're drooling._

_That_ wonderfully timed comment snapped X back to his senses. As if acting out of reflex, X had grabbed the three tickets from Axl's otherwise loose hold on them. Careful study revealed nothing even remotely counterfeit.

"They're real, X. You can breathe now."

X spared his friend a mock withering glare before returning to his inspection. "This is supposed to be the rarest find of Ancient Egyptian artifacts known to man. Preserved and kept untouched by human or Reploid hands inside an untouchable vacuum vault. To have survived over two hundred years despite everything that's happened... Only to go on exhibit now, right at the end of another War... It's supposed to be a private screening for the elites of the archeological world, though. How did...?"

"Zero told them Dr. Cain had given you a few lessons in Ancient Egyptian archeology and that you _really_ wanted to go." Axl shot in by way of explanation.

X's joyous mood seemed to fall in on itself. Turning on Zero, he almost whimpered, "Oh, no, Zero, you didn't."

The Red Raider of Maverick Hunter HQ faced his friend's oncoming depression with an emotionless expression. "It was a means to an end and it worked without any backfire this time."

"That's the problem! You don't _know_ if there's going to be fallout from this or not!"

"There won't be."

"But Zero...!"

Zero slammed his fist into the table, all but yelling, "There will _not_ be any fallout from you going to visit an exhibit Cain would have taken you to anyway!" Calming himself, he added, "And anybody who does stir up trouble will be taking a short walk off an even shorter political plank."

_Point, check, and match to Zero-sempai._

_This is stupid!_ X fumed internally._ Zero's putting his neck out there where all his enemies can hit it without problem!_

X's Inner Voice seemed to purr at that complaint. _Ah, will they now? His reasons are water-tight and pure. Any backstabber trying to get in through this little token of friendship will be fighting an uphill battle, regardless of Zero-sempai's past political record._ Inner Voice softened then, pulling with a gentle, comforting purr the true wound of the matter into the light. _And you do miss him, X, no matter how you try to deny it._

X felt himself flinch. _Dr. Cain's been dead for over a decade now. I've moved on._

_Hardly,_ his Inner Voice scoffed. _There's not a day that goes by when you don't think about him. About how he died._

Almost as if he were privy to X's thoughts, Zero gently placed his hand over X's unconsciously clenched fist.

"It wasn't your fault, X. It was his time."

_But it _was_ my fault, Zero... I should have been there. Held his hand or... or _something_ when...it finally hit._

_You were doing what he would have wanted you to do. You were saving the world. Again._ X's Inner Voice seemed to soften to a cooing whisper. _Zero-sempai's right. It wasn't your fault._

Axl's calm, steady voice broke in, "I may not have known Dr. Cain, X, but from what you and Zero have told me about him, I know he'd want you to go. If only to see what mummies they've found that are older than him."

_But I don't want to go..._

"Okay," X felt himself saying. "But I reserve the right to make a silent exit at the first sign of a politician's coat-tails."

_You need to go. For the closure, if nothing else._

After all, this _was_ the exhibit Dr. Cain had hopped to die viewing. While his old heart may have given out on him a decade sooner than it should have, perhaps he could still see his dream fulfilled through X's eyes.

_With the exclusion of the dieing part, of course._

_Of course._

* * *

He smiled, more to himself than to anyone in particular. Not as though there was anyone present with him at the time. At least, not in a physical since... If one could call the realm where a Soul Room resided a physical realm, that is. 

One hand gently ghosted across a few of the various techno-gadgets which seemed to litter his _yadonushi's_ room. He smiled, feeling a mixed wave of excitement and nervous fear thrum unconsciously down their shared link. There was currently a small debate going on between his _yadonushi's_ want to honor his past father figure's second greatest discovery and his common since of what wearing almost pure gold would look like to a room full of archeologists and, undoubtedly, politicians.

"Let them gawk at the Ring all they want. It was a gift from Dr. Cain and is rightfully yours. If they have a problem with it, then they can deal with it."

"_Oh, yeah, right. Those idiots who think Reploids shouldn't have any personal rights will jump right on it. ...But... I _do_ want to wear it..._" his _yadonushi_ countered, his thoughts wavering to something akin to a whimper.

The King of Thieves sighed dramatically carefully making sure his _yadonushi_ missed hearing it. After all, pieces of a person's psyche don't get exasperated at themselves.

"Then don't wear it in plain sight. Hide it under your shirt or jacket, or both."

"_Then there'd be no point in wearing it in the first place!_"

That did not mean that a person could not get exasperated with their Inner Voices, though.

"Compromise. Wear it, but tell them it's a fake. That Dr. Cain was too nervous about having the original stolen and hid it, giving you a replica instead."

"_That'd be lying, though!"_

"A means to a favorable end, X," the Thief King nearly bit his own tongue stopping himself from adding the -_kun_ suffix to X's name. Instead he continued on swiftly, "Just like what Zero-sempai did in order to get those tickets in the first place, only with less political swing and more personal reasoning."

He felt his _yadonushi_ take his suggestion to heart, grumbling ever so slightly as the idea grated lightly against his high morals, "_Whose side are you on anyway?_"

It took everything Touzoku had not to say, "My own."

Habits were hard things to break. Some of his more disturbing ones had been broken over the two hundred years of rest in which he had had little to do but annoy the Pharaoh and his _baka_ father, and contemplate on the light half of his soul. The half he had lost when he had crossed over over into the true afterlife. It had taken barely a decade of mortal time for him to realize just how much he missed his Hikari-kun, his Ryou-kin, his _true_ _yadonushi_.

And it was only when he saw his _yadonushi_ on that plain between plains, saw how broken he was, how full of pain and sadness, and realized that a great majority of his hikari's pain had come from the Thief King himself and that there was no way to apologize for being the ultimate cause of his death...

Suffice to say the Pharaoh had had his hands full keeping the King of Thieves from destroying the afterworld that day. And he really never wanted to think about what he had almost done to _ma'at_, to the order of the world, the day he'd seen his true _yadonushi_ being sent on without him back to the mortal world.

But as was his true hallmark, the King of Thieves had bided his time, waiting. It would not be long until _he_ himself was called back to the mortal world. He would be reborn into his own body and he _would_ find Ryou-kun and, this time, he _would_ set things right. Even if that meant playing the decent tenet like that pathetic Pharaoh had...

Only he'd never planned on _literally_ having to play the decent tenet. He'd done the whole "Stuck in the Ring" thing -- Set, he even had a t-shirt about it! And yet here he was, back in the Ring, keeping track of his _yadonushi_ once again from inside his landlord's skull.

Pulsating feelings of nervousness strummed what fear on his part had woven into a whimper of a link. With a snap of concentration, he ghosted along their link, looking out through his host's eyes. Seeing nothing more threatening than a sugar high Axl in a semi-formal tuxedo flanked by Zero-sempai in what he called "Formal Attire", the Thief King allowed himself to relax.

After all, if Zero-sempai wanted to embarrass his _yadonushi_ and his friends by wearing a red and gold suit, a black trench coat, and leaving his Nile-sized river of hair unbridled, then that was his business. That, and the fallout would be _quite_ interesting.

* * *

Yep. Mavericks had taken over when no one was looking, taking Zero's wardrobe hostage as they'd stormed silently through MHHQ. The results had left him hair tie-less and formalwear-less. 

In truth, it was a miracle the well-built guard had let him in at all. Given how everyone else was dressed decently and all, including X, who had not only pulled out his best blue formal suite, but had pressed all the dust off it as well!

Before X could start with his tirade, Zero had dashed off towards the rear of the exhibit, dragging X and Axl with him as he moved. It had taken the blond haired Red Raider less than a quarter hour to loosen X's nerves to the point the Blue Bomber was rattling off Ancient Egyptian facts as if he had been born knowing them. Every last speck of knowledge he could sweep out of their cobweb-covered containers was pushed the forefront.

Neither of the three cared when five hours later, X was still translating Egyptian tablets aloud, and neither Axl nor Zero were board. (The latter was later to be called a miracle by several Hunter personnel, only to be corrected by the fact the duo were being thoroughly entertained with stories on how to make _Old_ fashioned wine.) A small group of archeologist had wandered back with them. Soon, a debate started on several of X's impromptu translations, leading off into a tangent of ancient technical babble.

No more than five minutes after the debate started, Axl slipped off, intent on replenishing his sugar supply.

_A shame Axl left. He's going to miss the most important question of the night._

X blinked, looking out into the small crowed gathered around him. Zero was holding up an unoccupied wall, his arms crossed and head lowered as though he were napping. He looked up almost as soon as X's silent signal burst reached him, querying him about Axl's whereabouts. Zero answered with a similar data burst -- Sugar Run.

Once again, X's Inner Voice had proven correct. If one were keeping count, so far as intuition was concerned, it was Inner Voice one hundred, X... zero.

"I say, Mr. Rockman?" one of the older, more bushy-bearded scientists tapped X on the shoulder, catching his attention.

"Oh, please, Sir Aken, call me X." X smiled happily. Sir Aken was an old friend, a young college grad student working towards his doctorate Dr. Cain had picked up only a month after finding X. X and he had tossed theory after theory around during those eternal times when the midnight oil simply _had_ to be burned or risk loosing all form of sanity. Neither Dr. Cain nor X had realized he was related to knighted royalty until his great-grandmother had come barging in, announced, demanding he drop the "Stupid and useless notion of Ancient Egyptian archeology at _once!_"

X's Inner Voice seemed to have laughed itself silly at the notion. A feeling X was more than willing to agree to, given how completely out of date the woman's 16th Century British dress had looked.

"Only if you stop calling me 'Sir', Mr. Rockman." Sir Aken laughed in answer.

"Alright then, Aken," X nodded, playing along for the moment. "Was there something you wanted to ask me?"

_The question of the night..._ Inner Voice cooed with a near twisted laugh.

"Is that _the_ Millennium Ring?"

As if drawn by some magnetic force, every last eye in the room rounded on what hung around X's neck. A solid gold ring with five pointers dangling off of it, centered in which was a flat gold pyramid. Centermost of that in turn was a singe Horus Eye, the Ancient Egyptian symbol of kings and power. It seemed almost sacrilegious to see it hanging by nothing more than a strand of leather-bound rope as its necklace cord.

Never before had it felt so much like a noose.

"Um... well..." X fumbled for words, his hands nervously entwining their way through the ring. "This is... um..."

"Ah, no, sorry, this isn't the Millennium Ring. This is the _Sennen_ Ring. A fake. Dr. Cain was worried about having the original Millennium Ring stolen, so he had this made for me before... well, you know..."

It even took X a minute to realize what he had said, not because he had said it, but because it was a bold faced lie.

_And it was the lie you agreed to in order to keep prying idiots off. Everyone has the will to lie. It just took yours a minute to get its footing before going into automatic._ Inner Voice shot down his concerns with what almost felt like a wave of its hand.

_Well, yeah, but, I mean... It shouldn't have been that easy... Should it have...?_

"Oh..." Sir Aken still kept both eyes locked on X's Ring as he asked plaintively, "Are you absolutely _sure_?"

"Yes, Aken, I'm positive about this Ring's origins. I helped Dr. Cain make this facsimile, so I'm positive it _is_ a fake." X continued his lie smoothly.

"Oh... I... I see..." And reluctantly, and with extreme lack of haste, Sir Aken pulled his hand back away from the Sennen Ring.

Inner Voice audibly scowled. _Watch him. Something's not right._

_I lied to one of Dr. Cain's best friends and most trusted assistant. That alone isn't right... I don't feel right. I..._

His feet had taken him straight into the closest restroom at double their normal haste before X allowed something as trivial as reality to return to him. It never would have, had it not been for a concerned tap on his shoulder from Zero.

"You okay, kid?"

"This was a bad idea, Zero." X sighed, running a hand through his hair absently. "I just... This doesn't feel right."

Zero leaned against the counter which housed the sinks, his pose open despite his hands resting firmly in his coat pockets. "Yeah?" _I'm listening no matter how stupid it sounds_.

X slowly cupped his hand around his Ring, listing to its whimsical chime as the five pointers ratted against one another. It always calmed him to hear that gentle, windy chime roll about him.

"...I think..." X sighed, his hand still holding tight to the Ring even as he looked his former teacher eye to eye, "I think someone here might be after my Ring."

"Who?"

The lack of doubt in Zero's voice served to sooth his addled nerves further.

"Sir Aken, I think. And I know he's Dr. Cain's oldest adviser and everything, but... Just now, he unnerved me enough to... to actually... _lie_. Right there. To his face..."

Zero released a soft hum of concentration, his hand coming to rest under his chin in thought. "I remember you talking about him back when I was _still_ trying to get you to trust me. If he's still as stuck on ancient Egyptology as he was back before you two parted ways, then it'd be small wonder he's interested in your trinket."

"Zero," X sighed with the patient air of someone who'd held a familiar argument one too many times, "it's not a 'trinket'. It's the _Sennen_ Ring, the Millennium Ring, dating back to a time period known as 'The Age of the Lost Pharaoh', an age so shrouded in mystery and magic that all of the information regarding it seems to have gone up in smoke the second it was discovered."

"Which means it's got a price going for it larger than the one on your head," Zero factored with a slim air of teasing.

X rolled his eyes. "I'm being serious, Zero."

"So am I!" his friend protested good-naturedly, a teasing quirk twisting his lips into a small smile. "Do you have any idea how many patrols I've gone through listening to captured Mavericks rant about the fact you've got a price higher than me?"

_Anyone sticking a price on the Sennen Ring with Zenny has _no_ idea of its true worth._ Inner Voice scoffed.

There was a sudden slamming sound, causing both Zero and X to look towards the main bathroom entrance in alarm. Seeing Axl retreating backwards into the restroom, double over slightly with the effort to keep _something_ securely in his clutches, created a mixed reaction between the two elder Hunters.

"Gah! X, Zero!" Axl turned his head back as far as he dared, before whacking away another encroaching hand with a yelled, "Hands off! I won this sucker fair and square!"

The elder two Hunters exchanged a look. A moment passed in which the two engaged in a quick game of rock-paper-scissors and ended with Zero snapping his fingers in defeat.

"Always stuck with the grunt work..." he murmured. Gently placing two fingers over his left ear out of habit, he switched his internal radio on. "Hey, Spotter Central?"

"_So whose fan club cornered you in the boy's room this time, Zero? X's?_" Alia's teasing voice filtered through Zero's radio with its usual crackle of static.

"From the way Axl's clutching at his latest candy box, I only wish it was that domesticated a crowd." Zero sniggered aloud, adding in an aside, "We're in luck; it's Alia."

X instantly blushed, sputtering, "You call that luck?" under his breath.

"I'd call that -- Hey! Get your hands off _my_ puzzle! Jackass! -- luck from where I'm standing, X-sempai!"

X slapped his palm against his face, an anime sweat drop practically painting itself by his head as he did so. "Axl? How many people have you pissed off?"

There was a short lull in Axl's banter as the youngest Hunter tried to peak at how large a crowd stood outside the restroom door without placing either himself or his prize in any further danger. "Estimated guess? Oh, just about everyone here excluding you two."

"Yeah, about that warp out, Alia-chan? Think you can speed it up a little?"

"_Ah... Nope, sorry Zero. Signus just walked in, and he does _not_ look happy._"

Zero's hair bristled as he tensed, asking, "You can't sneak a warp-out without him finding out now, can you, Alia-chan?"

He could almost see Alia's features droop. "_Sorry, Zero, but you three are on your own for this one. Best of luck with the candy crowd!_"

And, like a brick, the connection dropped.

X took one look at Zero's expression, and settled with the most appropriate words for the moment.

"We're doomed."

_Not quite. There's a window on your upper right. Dump the candy, take it at a run, and you've got yourself a fighting chance._

Whatever deity had decided to bless him with his Inner Voice, X thanked once again, launching into the plan without a second's hesitation.

"Hey, X, wha--!"

By time Zero had finished asking half his question, he was already being shoved towards the person-sized ventilation window. A split second later accompanied with the familiar ting of splintering glass led to Zero having caught wind of X's plan. Another handful of seconds later, and the Red Raider was on the other side of the window, hand outstretched and ready to haul the next victim forward.

"Axl, I'm sorry, I'll buy you a new one!" X yanked the golden candy box out of his spiky haired friend's hands, sparing it only a fleeting glance, before tossing out to the thrumming masses. It glittered like some kind of glorified rectangular football, sailing in a wide arc clear over the majority of the crowd's heads, only to land with a shaky _Crash_ at the other end of the museum.

There was barely time to register his Inner Voice's gasp of shock as he half pulled, half shoved Axl up to and out the window, before shimmying after him. Just in time, too, as the half of the crowd which hadn't given chase to the candy box flooded in after them.

Catching up with his two friends three blocks and countless alleyways later, X slugged Axl in the shoulder without breaking their run.

"The next time you decided to incite a riot over a box of candy. Don't."

* * *

This was one of the few times Touzoku was sorry he had given his _yadonushi_ good advice. But then again, given how the crowd was acting, his only alternative would have been saying, "We can't leave the candy box here because it's not a candy box, it's a puzzle containing the spirit of a three thousand year old pharaoh -- and, oh yeah, I'm not just a voice in your head. I'm a three thousand year old ex-Tomb Robber who can't rest because, guess what? You're my reincarnation this time around fated to save the world from a grizzly and untimely end. Again."

Oh yes. He could see _that_ ending comfortably.

Shrugging, Touzoku stood from his bed. Once he had been sure his _yadonushi_ wasn't in any danger, fan-based or otherwise, he had retreated to his own soul room. Tapping the power of the Sennen Ring always seemed easier within the comforts of his Room, probably because his Room was actually located within the Ring itself.

Looking over his _yadonushi_'s memories though the Ring's magic had led to a few interesting developments. Not good developments, though, but rather developments of such a Shadowy nature, Touzoku could not help but smile. That fact in and of itself was enough to scare any sane being into hiding.

"I'm going to have to borrow your body for tonight, _yadonushi_. If I'm right, and some _baka_ mortal has set things into motion the way I think they have, we're going to need all the help we can get.

"Even if it has to come from that 'holier-than-thou', pain in the ass, His Royal Highness-ness, the Pharaoh Atemu, himself..."

He paused, looking down at his hand, and sighed.

"I'd ask what in Isis's name I did to deserve this, but I think I already know..."


	3. Chapter 2

_**Sennen Yami no Rockman X**_

* * *

Chapter 2: _First Introductions_

* * *

Being the King of Thieves had its advantages, one of which was the unorthodox talent of stealing just about anything he wanted no matter how tight the security. What was now close to three lifetimes, five if you took into account his current _yadonushi_'s age, had given him more than enough experience to guess about how much security could be expected around specific items. Gold and jewels deemed priceless by so called "experts" would have about as much security as the Valley of the Kings had curses, for example. 

Keeping that in mind led Touzoku to two conclusions: Whoever had ordered the Puzzle captured either had no idea of its true value, or had just made him party to an elaborate setup. Insurance measures had been taken to secure that the latter never had a chance to fulfill itself. After all, what was a King of Thieves if he did not have a loyal information network?

...Ra forbid if he ever had to introduce his hikari to said information network, though. He'd rather not have to explain to Anubis why his _yadonushi_ had died prematurely of mortification.

Slipping into Axl's room had been ridiculously easy as well. Staying hidden, however, was proving to be another challenge entirely. After all, who was he to guess the boy's closet had been stuffed full with more puzzles, game pieces, and stuffed animals than a three year old child's toy room?

And on some level, that disturbed him. Axl-san was his _yadonushi_'s pupil, and by that very definition, he was _his_ to look after as well. All Touzoku knew about him was what he had gleaned from X-kun's memories of past conversations. Needless to say, information there was sparse to non-existent.

One: Whoever had built him, given him a life and a soul, had abandoned him. Whether by choice or by necessity, no one knew. Not even Axl had the faintest trace of memory regarding his creator, his father.

Two: Red, the ill-fated leader of the doomed counter-Maverick organization Red Alert, had filled in the gaping emotional hole in Axl's soul where a father was needed most. Having had to not only defeat him but cosign his destruction had taken a toll on the boy's spirit to the point where it was being held together by a childhood dream. No psychologist was needed to tell you _that_ was not healthy.

Three: Axl blamed himself for Red's death. A fact Touzoku wanted to bash repeatedly until it shattered into the farce it was against Axl's thick skull.

It was this last fact which made him hope -- nay, made him pray to any Ancient God who was listening -- that Axl was who he thought he was. If anyone could get his youthful mind wrapped around his own white, innocent truth, it was His Highness-ness, the _baka_ formally known as the Nameless Pharaoh.

At least, for his _yadonushi_'s sake, he prayed. If he lost Axl, if he let him slip into his own dark depression, he would blame himself fully. And that would be a scar the King of Thieves doubted he could keep from cutting his _hikari_'s soul in two.

Ah, but enough contemplation now. The child of the hour was up and about, though a tad groggy from what looked to be a fitful sleep. Regardless of his sleepy nature, he took one look at the golden box, and jumped upwards in a sudden adrenaline spike of excitement.

"You _rock_, X-sempai!" Axl nearly squeaked, dashing into Touzoku's line of sight.

The King of Thieves bit back a laugh. Axl was wearing pink pajamas with a white bunny print. _Pink!_

Somewhere in the back of their shared mind, his _yadonushi_ stirred. And stilled.

_Umph. Must be stuck in a nightmare_...

He couldn't help it. The King of Thieves _laughed_ loud and hard, his "voice" rumbling down their link like thunder. He felt his hikari being kicked off his metaphorical feet as the rumbling passed his Soul Room, only to steady himself on one of the handy computer conceals in his Room.

_...Or I've gone insane. One of the two._

_No, no, it's just a dream. Go back to sleep, X. Or did you forget you have a date with Alia tomorrow after training?_

X blushed. _Oh yeah. That._ Touzoku watched half-heartedly as X shuffled back to his bed. _Goodnight, Inner Voice..._

"Pleasant dreams my little _yadonushi_..." he sighed, keeping his words aloud from reaching his now sleeping charge, and all the while cursing himself (silently, of course) for his weakness. He had never been this weak with Ryou-kun. Never!

But the time for doubts was over. Axl was close to slipping in the final piece of the Puzzle, and any fool with half a brain and even the faintest ideas of what Shadow Magic was knew what was next.

Once more Touzoku cursed himself, blocking out all sight and sound and _feeling_ of welling Shadows welcoming back their master from X-kun. To have him wake and see Axl shift to someone who was _not_ Axl would have put him on alert. There would have been questions; questions Touzoku was unwilling to answer. Memories would have to be altered in order to avoid those questions all together. The results of those alterations would eventually weaken what small bond of trust he hoped had formed by playing the part of Inner Voice, and then... He would be alone again. Abandoned by his _hikari_ once more...

"**_Who in the name of Ma'at has dared to harm Our Avatar!?"_**

Well. Baka no Pharaoh certainly seemed pissed. Awake for less than five minutes and already on a quest for vengeance? Things were worse than they seemed, then.

Damn. The Pharaoh _so_ owed him for this.

Pharaoh Atemu unconsciously swung his cape past his shoulders, growling as he made his way to Axl's door. "When I get my hands on this... this _thing_ which dared to harm my hikari, I am going -- !"

"To what? Ruin Axl-san's life further?"

The King of Thieves openly smirked at his long-time adversary's expression as it cycled through shock, annoyance, anger, before finally settling on a mix of disgusted aggravation. Touzoku had placed himself, or to be more accurate his _yadonushi_'s body, so that he was leaning against both the wall and Axl's puzzle table with his arms crossed in an expression of boredom. His _yadonushi_'s armor sans helmet gleamed in the florescent lights like an azure death beacon, and if his Shadow Magic held right, then his hair had been scrunched into a devil-horn pattern.

"So you've switched to body snatching now, Tomb Robber? You should know better than to defile my hikari's Sempai's soul."

If he had been any other person, the Tomb Robber would have flinched under the reborn Pharaoh's crimson glare. As it was, he waved what had been a boy king off with a knowing smirk, "And how, pray tell, do you know this body is that of your hikari's Sempai, your Highness-ness?"

Atemu opened his mouth to say, "Because Axl told me so," only to stop and gag on his own tongue. A moment of embarrassed awkward silence passed, followed by an embarrassing blush reaching its way up towards Atem's hairline.

"I figured as much." The King of Thieves stood, walking out past Atemu with a knowing smirk. "You've got three hours to get everything squared away before Axl has to be shot at by way of training. Have fun!"

Even though the door had closed soundlessly behind him, he could still hear the Pharaoh's indignant shout, "Shot at by way of _what?_" halfway down the hall.

_Oh, I am so _evil!

* * *

This had to be working up towards one of the strangest days of Axl's life.

And considering he was a member of Hunter Unit Zero, that was saying something.

Okay, so, everything had started out normal enough. Zero had noticed X had been acting more reclusive than normal. As what seemed to be the only person on base, never mind in his unit, who wasn't afraid to get their head bitten off by participating in one of his _sempai's_ well-known "plans", Zero had approached him with quite the devil of a scheme. Anything to do with Zero and schemes normally involved pranks, laughter, mass chaos, destruction of some kind, and all around mayhem.

The first warning bell for a weird day should have started ringing the minute it dawned on Axl Zero's plan involved none of the above.

Alas, Axl did not have the same strange Inner Voice that X had and was hence oblivious to anything being overly amiss in the world. So as it was, Axl went along happily with Zero's plan to cheer X up. He had gone so far as to sneak a word in with Layer about clearing all three of their schedules without Signus noticing. It was a feet which cost him a fortune through half his personal candy stash, three bubblegum trading cards, and two of his spare Battle Monster Cards.

But that was beside the point.

X, Zero, and he went to, of all places, a museum. Yes. A boring, run down old inner city museum hosting some kind of big-wig party over a bunch of ancient Egyptian crap, the whole of which he could have cared less about. Then again, this wasn't exactly like watching paint dry. And archeology was X's second favorite pastime next to reading musty old "Classic" books in their original paperback form. No one could argue the fact X-sempai needed a serious pick-me-up; so he went.

Weirdness Alarm Bell Number Two should have been going off the second he realized he _liked_ listening to dead languages. But it hadn't. And if he had stayed sane of mind instead of going off to hunt for candy, Weirdness Alarm Number Three would have been going off in response to the lack of Weirdness Alarms Number One and Two.

Any Weirdness Alarms which should have gone off after Alarm Three regarding the strange, vacant look of a number of the patrons were drowned out by the Low Sugar Warning Light. Further Weirdness Alarms were dismissed when he found a hook/grabber game loaded with an assortment of puzzles, candies, and other little treats. It was Egyptian themed, so it should have fit the scene perfectly. Now that he was thinking back on it though, there was something... off with it. ...All right, something _more_ off with it than an authentic looking golden puzzle box sitting all-too-invitingly atop a small mountain of mini prizes.

"Hey! There's no _candy_ in here!"

Axl was a candy-a-holic. What more could he say in his defense?

What happened afterwards was not something he wanted to think about. It had been embarrassing just when one old man had tried to take his prize away. It'd been downright embarrassing of a mortifying nature when he'd had to seek refuge in the men's restroom to avoid the remaining half dozen patrons who had suddenly developed a major need to play puzzle solver. _Then_ there had been X yanking his prize away -- a prize he now honestly wanted to complete just to see what the hell all the old people were screaming at him about -- and shoving him out a side bathroom ventilation window promising to buy him another one.

And on top of all of that, X-sempai had then punched him in the shoulder, saying he shouldn't start riots over candy boxes.

X-sempai had remained true to his word, though. There, sitting on what he had dubbed the Puzzle Solving Desk first thing after a short recharge, was that mysterious golden candy-less box.

Axl had released a soundless whistle upon opening it. "Wow. 'Powers and Wisdom of Darkness' huh? Better be more than a jawbreaker for putting this bad boy back together."

No sooner had he said that then he had gotten to work cracking the puzzle's secrets. Having a computer for a brain had helped tremendously in the task, too.

And if anyone claimed he'd cheated, he'd point out exactly how many puzzle pieces there were, the lack of an accurate description of what it looked like, and the fact he was a Hunter. If he didn't get the thing solved in one sitting, odds were he wouldn't be alive long enough to get a second crack at it.

Axl had just snapped the last piece in when --

_Bam!_

There was no real accurate way to describe it. One minute he was in his room, then the next second passed and _all_ of his memories were put on fast-forward scan. A third second followed as everything returned to some kind of equilibrium with two small exceptions.

He was back home in his room at Red Alert's Citadel.

"**_Who in the name of Ma'at dared to harm Our Avatar!?"_**

And the voice yelling outside his door was _not_ Red. Or X, or Zero, or, hell, even his own!

_Okay, Axl, chill. You've been transported to an unknown area that looks like home_ but its not_ and you know it. Red Alert's just ashes now, you know that. Run things through. Axl Bullets! Online!_

One pistol in hand, and the Hunters' number one rookie spy was on his way out the familiar look-alike door. There wasn't any need to kick it as it was the automatic sliding type, which turned out to be to his advantage as there was one weird looking dude/person/humanoid thingy standing in what looked like a metallic hallway between himself and a second old-fashioned black door.

For starters, the person -- a male, crimson eyed, about five feet two inches tall at a best guess not counting his hair -- had to be what looked like the weirdest hairstyle possible. It was tri-color, an odd mix of dark magenta, black, and streaked with gold just for luck. It stood out in five directions in gravity defying spikes which put his own hair to shame. He looked well toned at the very least, not muscular in a sense but it was obvious he at least worked out a little. And the dark though not burned tan to his skin did little to hide his physique.

His outfit looked like it had just come off display at the Ancient Egyptian exhibit, too. A white tunic and one of those weird skirt/shorts things, topped with a gold shoulder vest which in turn anchored a royal violet cape, and wicker sandals laced with what looked like gold. Two giant earrings could be seen dangling off his ears, the tops of which, directly below the piercing, had a single unblinking eye. This same strange eye took center stage on his forehead, centering a gold crown that had something that looked like little wings ending just above his ears. Add on the fact that he wore gold anklets, gold wristbands, and gold forearm bands, and you had a guy who thought he was either royalty or the wealthiest man alive.

Let's not forget the fact he looked all of about sixteen years old.

Taking in every detail took Axl around a second. For the strange boy/person/whatever-he-was to in turn recognize him _and_ his Axl Bullet took around a full minute.

"You'll have to forgive me, Axl-san. Your...um... attire, took me by surprise."

If he'd been anything but the best, Axl would have looked down at his pajamas and blinked in indignation. As he was the best, all he said instead was, "Yeah. I know. Red bought them for me. Problem?"

Stranger put his hands up, palms forward. "Ah, no, not at all. Although..." he looked pointedly at Axl's Bullet. "That's not, really... necessary..."

_Like hell it's not necessary. I'm no longer in my room, I've got some strange wacko --_

The stranger blanched as though he had just heard something out of line.

"I've been called a lot of things before, but I'll have to admit 'wacko' is a new one."

...And he could read his mind. _Great. Add on mind reading to wacko and... Well, damn. I've fallen right into a Maverick trap._

The stranger put his hands down, his demeanor taking on an edge of seriousness. "I am not a Maverick. Nor am I a hallucination. I am your ally, Axl, and I will not harm you.

"Others in your past have claimed the same. Instead of keeping to their word they have turned on you and those you love. You father abandoned you. Everyone you have ever loved has been taken from you. You have endured hell itself brought about by hands which once loved you. Hands which were controlled by another's demonic will. You fear the same will happen to you one day. That is why you wish to die on the battlefield before such a day comes to pass so that another will not have to feel the same pain you felt when you helped end your loved ones' lives.

"Your soul has been scared by two intersecting wounds. One was made by a Trespasser into your Soul while the other was created by yourself as a direct result of that Trespass. These scars have grown and festered to become your wish to die."

Axl tried in vane to keep his Bullet from shaking. Slowly, the stranger placed a gold ringed hand over Axl's weapon. Without struggle, he lowered it.

"H-H-How...? How do...you...?"

A gentle hand reached out, pressing two fingers softly against his lips.

"Don't speak. Listen. The Sennen Puzzle has strung a bond between us. When such a bond as this is first formed it is a shock to both parties. Instinct has a habit of asserting itself out of defense from such temporary intrusions. Your instinct was to retreat into the safety of your Soul Room. Mine was to seek out my _hikari_ and insure his protection. In doing so, I saw your soul stripped bare.

"I will not apologize for seeing your pain, _hikari no Axl_. Though I will and must apologize for looking at your memories without your permission. My only excuse for my transgression was that I was worried about you."

By this point, there was only one small part of Axl's brain that had not been lost in utter shock and confusion. It had only this to say: "Um... Erk?"

"Well, that's a start at least," the Stranger laughed, a rich, warm chuckle which seemed as much derived from amusement as it was from relieve.

"Come," he beckoned, turning towards a strange jet-black door etched with that same unblinking gold eye, "Let us get more comfortable before I explain things further."

Those warning bells about weird things missed their queue once again when Axl took a step inside the strange other room. And stopped, looking straight at an Escher drawing come to life. A single thought rose and fell as he followed the endless stairs and doors which seemed to litter the landscape. "This place... looks like it'd be a blast to explore..."

The Stranger laughed, pulling him back to some form of his senses. "You're welcome here at any time, Axl-san."

"Whoa... Seriously? I mean I don't want to intrude..." Axl blushed, one hand behind his head in embarrassment. "I...uh... just kind ah got a thing for puzzles..."

"When in regards to you, Axl-san, there is no such thing as an intrusion."

Axl watched this strange man as he moved, feeling something like a fish. He knew, _knew_, the man wasn't lying to him about not being an intrusion. It was as though Axl could feel his thoughts gently brushing against his own...

The Stranger stopped, blushing. "_Ano... Gomen,_ Axl-san," and that strange feeling of thought-against-thought dimmed.

Axl blinked. "You mean I was reading your thoughts?"

"That's... part of what we need to discus... Ah, here we are." The Stranger pushed open one of the many doors. "Oh, and please, call me Yami."

"Darkness?" Axl blinked, sprinting slightly to keep up. "I'll admit you struck me as wacko, but not dark."

"Darkness comes in many forms, not all of which is evil." Yami countered laughingly.

The marble floored room they had walked into looked something like a mix between Pre-Light modern and an Ancient Egyptian king's guest hall. There were comfortable sand-colored stiff backed chairs like one would normally find in a formal reading room mixed together with an assortment of multicolored beanbag chairs. A wood burning fireplace crinkled merrily in its sandstone hearth backed by nothing more than a crystal clear desert sky.

Yami quite literally plopped down into the closest beanbag. "I've missed these things."

Axl gave him a strange kind of look, "Where'd you go that didn't have them?"

"Heaven, I think,"

The shear calmness with which Yami had spoken sent Axl tumbling face down into a deep maroon colored bag. "H-Heaven!"

"Hum, yes. It was either there or a very strange version of Hell."

Axl gagged. "You're... You're a dead guy?"

"Three thousand two hundred years give or take a decade." If he noticed how badly Axl seemed to be choking on that piece of information, he ignored him, adding, "When I was alive I was Pharaoh of Egypt. Since you are my reincarnation, that automatically makes you a Pharaoh, too."

Axl face planted once more. Taking one deep breath to steady himself and stop the conga line of utter pandemonium his brain had put into gear, he did his level best to glare at Yami.

"Okay, hit the breaks, Mr. Dead King. I'm _who_ and _what_ and _why_ the _hell_ are you _laughing!_"

Yami leaned back in his beanbag seat, nearly falling out of it with laughter. This was going to be _quite_ interesting.


	4. Chapter 3

Warning: Zero continues to use his vocabulary. Nothing above PG, though.

* * *

_**Sennen Yami no Rockman X**_

* * *

Chapter 3: _Shot at by Way of Training_

* * *

To say Axl's morning was not going according to plan would be something akin to saying housecats do not like getting wet.

"Ack!" A louder than normal boom accompanied the wordless gasp. "I'm **_late!_**" Followed by a soundless, collective moan as those persons unlucky enough to be caught in the middle of the most direct path from the barracks to the training center preformed impressive gymnastics to avoid an orange-haired armored blur.

Axl growled mid jump, shouting back an apology to the transporter he had just vaulted over. _This isn't funny, Yami!_

The former Pharaoh and now spirit on permanent time rent inside Axl's skull continued to laugh, ignorant of the patented Death Glare his current hikari was giving him.

_Well,_ he paused so as to catch his non-existent breath, _You... You can't blame me for this._

_Right. Blame fate, destiny, evil magic spell casters from beyond, and all that other crap. _

He paused to perform a triple jump from floor, to wall, to occupied metal crate tops, and back to floor again, sailing over cursing staffs' heads in the process. "Sorry about that!"

So he had woken up on time courtesy of his internal alarm prompt. Normality had taken a vacation directly after that.

He had scrambled somewhat when he realized fifteen minutes after said internal alarm prompt had been silenced that he and Yami were still hammering out the facts about what happened some two hundred years ago. Followed by that was a near wave of panic as he saw that Yami had somehow triggered his Copy abilities and set his own non-existent ghostly DNA pattern plus clothing as the intended target. There had been a good five minutes wasted letting Yami admire the fact Axl's body could change into just about any person he managed to get a DNA strand from. Followed promptly by Yami realizing his hair was _not_ spiked at all and was instead obeying such a trivial law as gravity, which in turn launched him into a juvenile protest making him look like a three year old.

_I still think you're mental._

_I'm not the one who had a conga line trying to make since of things._ Yami countered.

_Yeah, but that's your fault, too!_

_Oh really?_

_Yes, really_. There was an echoing crash, followed by the soft sounds of ball bearings being scattered across the hall. "I didn't do it, sorry, bye!" Axl shouted back, ducking what would have otherwise been an impressive punch to his head by a hair's width.

_You're the one who dumped the whole pile of "You have been chose by destiny to save the world from Shadows gone out of control" crap on me this morning. And now Zero's gonna try and take a head-shot at me for being late! Again!_

Yami was guiltless as he spoke; _You were the one pressing me for details._

_But I wasn't the one who took up sudden residence in my head!_

_Not my fault you had to finish the Puzzle in one sitting._

Axl rolled his eyes. _I am _not_ having an argument with a three thousand years dead Pharaoh about whose fault it is I'm late. Never mind the fact he stuck his Puzzle _in_ my armor. ...How did you do that anyway?_

_Magic,_ Yami grinned as though he were a cheesier cat. Axl groaned.

_Ugh. Never mind. Just do me a favor and don't distract me. Dodging Zero's shots are tough enough even when I've got room to._

Curiosity filtered through to him but that was all. Yami's presence was a subdued, observing flicker in the back of his mind where doubt would usually hold residence.

Axl took a deep, conscious breath despite the fact he was still running, collecting himself for what he knew was next. Twenty feet from the door, and he sent the silent signal for it to open. Ten feet and he had both Bullets in his hands. Two, and his systems were set for an emergency jump.

One foot inside the training center, and every last instinct he had, both technological and just good old common sense, blared a silent, deafening warning that hot plasma bullets were just dieing to meet him up close and personal.

Axl jumped. A single ball of burnt copper colored energy nicked his boot before impacting with a now shut door. Even a small nick was enough to send his balance off, causing him to flip into a summersault. Systems kicked into overdrive when Axl mentally switched his hover gear into action, extending the "wing" like blades behind which allowed for extra balance and triggering the boosters which normally acted as dash thrusters to increase their output enough to keep him airborne. Both Bullets returned fire with a volley of off yellow plasma bullets.

Every shot was blocked with an iridescent green blade, the wielder of which looking anything but happy. What was worse was the fact said blade and its owner will mere centimeters from Axl's face, already on the tail end of a downward sweeping arch.

_Aw...!_

There was barely enough time to sneeze much less mentally curse the severity of the situation. One seemingly suicidal order for his thrusts to cut out had gravity pulling Axl clear from the grasp of what had to be the second if not first-most infamous weapon in history.

Once he had a foot on the ground, Axl pushed himself into a roll, gaining distance from his current adversary's position. Straightening out from the roll led him to jumping up once again, this time only a few inches as he turned back to face the now charging fighter. Plasma bullets sprayed outwards only to be deflected with nothing more than gentle wrist flicks.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Zero shouted his question, pushing Axl into a retreat towards a wall with a well timed flick of his blade.

"I'm late, I know, I'm sorry!" Axl yipped his apology. The orange haired Hunter jumped back, performing a set of triangle jumps to reach the relative safety of the ceiling.

"While you're pretending to be a bat, take a look around and tell me what's wrong with this picture!" Zero hollered, being kept from following by being too busy deflecting the boy's weapons' fire.

Axl paused in his firing -- probably one of the more intellectually lacking moves he had made thus far -- to get a clear view of the training arena. Finding it empty left him to blink, followed a moment after by a sharp curse.

"I wasn't just late. I missed the whole session!"

"Damn straight, n00b!"

Startled into a momentary lack of movement by his sempai's use of 1337 Speak, all Axl could do was stare as the red armored blond warrior jumped off the wall below him, managing to gain enough height to strike Axl in the forehead with his saber. Gravity took its course again, sending Axl crashing to the ground. Zero landed in a shallow crouch, his hair finding its way over his left shoulder.

"Not only that, but I had to stay here, waiting for you to get your sorry ass out of bed!" Zero half shouted, half growled, standing up and walking towards Axl, returning his saber to its proper place behind him with one well-practiced motion.

_Axl, are you alright?_ Yami's voice was intent, his concern obvious.

Axl blinked, looking up at the Red Hunter as he offered his hand, his blond hair forming a corona-like halo behind him.

_I am going to rip that... blond... idiot...? Axl? Why are you laughing?_

"You know I hate it when you do that, Zero-sempai." Axl laughed, grasping Zero's forearm. While at the same time Yami mentally gagged on his own intangible tongue. That's _Zero-sempai!_

"Yeah, and _you_ know I hate having people show up late to _my_ training sessions. Especially people from _my_ unit." Zero countered, pausing just long enough to hall Axl back to his feet. "You lasted three minutes this time, kid. You're getting better."

Axl smirked, "_Yatta!_" giving his commanding officer the victory sign.

Zero whapped the boy upside the head. "No parties until _after_ you manage to get to a week's worth of training sessions _on time_."

"Aw, why not?" His lower lip was sticking out just enough to be cute. Zero rolled his eyes. Laughing, the Red Hunter put his arm around Axl's shoulders in a friendly hug.

"Come on, kid. Let's get some lunch."

_And in between bites, could you please tell me _what_ in the name of Osiris' Netherworld is going on here_!? Yami's voice was an indignant, terrifying roar filled with concerned confusion.

_Oh, sorry about that._ Axl blushed ever so slightly in embarrassment._ Whenever I'm late to a session, Zero-sempai makes me stay afterwards for a one-on-one training drill. If I break my previous time record for staying "alive" by at least a minute, then he buys lunch. If I last less, then not only do I have to buy lunch but I have to show up to X's unit's training session as well as Unit Zero's -- that's Zero's unit. And if I show up late to that, too, then he hands me over to the disciplinary unit headed by Signus himself. Let's just say I've never been late to X's sessions._

_But... But he was trying to kill you!_

_Nope._

_Well it sure as hell looked like it!_

Axl shrugged, using the motion as an excuse to throw Zero off. _Zero-sempai's just trying to make sure the Mavericks don't get a chance to return the favor I dealt Sigma and Lumine._

He felt the three thousand year old spirit twist his answer about as though tasting it. It was with a hint of repressed anger -- either that, or wounded pride -- he replied with, _I still don't like it. You're a child._

_Ah for crying out loud._ Axl rolled his eyes in exasperation, his expression otherwise neutral. _I'm a _Reploid_! I can handle myself a lot better than any human who tries to go out hunting, thank you very much._

The note of wounded pride ebbed away under a tone of curiosity. _What's a Reploid?_

It took everything Axl had not to face plant in the middle of the hall.

_You are _so_ getting an Axl-style history lesson when I'm off duty._

For some reason, Yami had the distinct impression an Axl-style history lesson was _not_ a good thing.

* * *

Touzoku released a sigh of relieve. Not only was his _yadonushi_ on a date (although he would deny that fact to his grave and quite probably beyond, the suborn headed idiot that he was), but from the way the Shadows pulsed and waved in a mix of happy contentment throughout the building, he could bet the Pharaoh and his current Light were getting along without a hitch.

X-kun attempted to say something that wasn't _exactly_ romantic while still managing to let a few of his emotions slip. Touzoku could only wince.

True, it was his immortal duty to guide and protect his _yadonushi_ through the Shadows and Hell known as life. No one would argue, however, that even _that_ duty had its limits, and giving advice on dates with a women everyone but _you_ knew you were in love with was one of those limits.

Another attempted comment, this time made by Alia. A counter comment so cliché it hurt zinged past.

"Hathor help us, X-kun," the King of Thieves winced, making sure to keep his voice down, "You're worse than Yuugi-kun."

And to think he had another two hours of this to look forward to. Joy.

* * *

Taking a history lesson from Axl was like asking a four year old for directions. It was possible in a gone-to-the-dentist-to-get-a-tooth-pulled kind of way, but still possible. Not to mention more entertaining than any dentist's drill ever could be.

"There are two ways to learn about history, Yami. One way's to live it, while the other one is to play through all the different videogames they've made about it." Axl nodded his head sagely at his own words, standing in front of a full body mirror. Yami's ghostly form stood besides him, one hand nursing an already forming headache.

"Axl-san..."

"Just wait. You're gonna like this part." Axl sniggered promisingly. Yami gave him a Look. "No, honestly, you will! You see, I'm a Copy Reploid. That means I'm a machine with the ability to copy a person or Reploid's DNA so that I can look exactly like them. People are a little trickier since you have to set in fabric types for clothing which is why I don't copy them so often, but it _is_ possible."

Yami blinked, "A machine? Like a computer?"

"Do I look that dumb to you?" Axl demanded teasingly. Yami blushed, quickly looking away from his charge.

"I meant no offence, it's simply..."

Axl laughed, cuing Yami to give him another kind of look, this one spelling out his confused relief. "I'm just teasing," Axl laughed. "Besides, there're people in this era who don't believe it, either."

"A machine with a soul," Yami nodded his head slowly. "That is something hard to wrap one's mind around."

"Like magic?"

Yami smiled at his Light. "Like magic," he agreed. Another few moments of blissfully pleasant silence wrapped around them, only to be broken with another question. "So then... This... Copying ability you spoke of? Is this what you used this morning?"

"I'm not really sure what happened," Axl admitted. "I think, somehow, I got a copy of your DNA, or at least something really close to your DNA, and that when you took over, the DNA Copying Center took it as an order to shift form."

"Which means...?"

"It means, if I can set your DNA to a secondary default setting, whenever we switch, you'll look like you and I'll look like me."

Having not understood half of what Axl had just said Yami simply nodded vaguely. It had been the Kaibas who had done all of the technical computer-related stuff. Yuugi had occasionally meddled with them, but only for the sake of online games or school projects.

Axl rolled his eyes, "Just watch."

Taking one deep breath, Axl closed his eyes, centering himself for what would undoubtedly be one of the harder shifts he had ever done. First, there was the issue of locating two separate files: Yami's DNA, and the database he kept on hand regarding different clothing styles.

His internal computer bleeped at him, causing him to tilt his head to one side in confusion.

"What's wrong?" Yami questioned, his ghostly hand feeling surprisingly solid on Axl's shoulder.

"Null return on search Yami -- DNA dot CopyMatrixExecutable... I _know_ you're listed in there somewhere..." Axl's brow furled into a cute look of concentration. "Hey, wait. You don't have a second name, do you? Like Atemu?"

Yami blinked. "That was my mortal name from when I was Pharaoh of Egypt three thousand years ago."

Axl smirked. "So _that_ explains it!"

"Explains what?"

Yami's hikari opened his eyes, a warm, excited smirk making his features all but glow.

"Got it,"

A brilliant white light silently exploded into being, its origin seeming to be Axl himself. Out of instinct, Yami put his hand over his eyes as the light swept through him. He felt Axl grab a hold of his wrist, yanking him into control of their shared body, just in time for the glow to settle.

And left Yami standing, jaw agape, looking at himself in the full body mirror.

He was... Well, he was himself. Only adorned in a black sleeveless shirt, deep purple jeans, black armbands, wristbands, and a single black dog collar with a silver studded buckle secured just tight enough around his throat to be comfortable without falling off. The jeans were unique, too, having two leather belts wrapped through the belt holes. Around his neck as it always had been was the Sennen Puzzle, the dark leather strap serving as a necklace cord making its way over his new dog collar.

Even the fact his hair refused to perform its normal gravity defying grace, instead hanging pathetically down to his shoulder blades in a tri-colored waterfall, was a mute point. For the fist time in two hundred years, he was back in a comfortable black-and-leather outfit the likes of which he had only known when his _aibou_ had taken his flakey fashion advice.

"Huh. I think I'd need a live DNA sample to get your hair right."

Fighting down nostalgic tears, Yami nodded his head negative, his eyes not once leaving his own image. "No... No, Axl, this is..." He smiled as he looked at Axl floating next to him, a shaky, true smile of delight. "This is perfect. Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet!" his hikari returned, smile warning of imminent sugar. "We've got an arcade to hit up!"

"An arcade?"

"Yes, an arcade. How else do you expect to go through a history lesson? With data-file books?"

Yami couldn't help himself. Still admiring his own reflection, he laughed. A long, heartfelt laugh, "I think I'll take the arcade!"

* * *

Trench coats.

Heaven only knew why, but for some reason, Zero was enamored by them. They always felt like the right things to wear no matter what the weather. When the wind slipped through them just right, it almost felt like he had wings. Water seemed to ignore them entirely. Stains anywhere from beer to coffee avoided them like the plague. Sometimes, it almost seemed like they sat up and begged for him.

But for the moment, standing just outside of London Fog 21XX, they were just darn annoying.

"They're asking how much for _last year's_ model?" Zero pulled the collar of his favorite deep red trench coat a few inches higher, huddling into it as though it were a blanket. "Damn highway robbery..."

Sighing, Zero returned to walking down the crowded boulevard. It was a Friday, he mentally moaned, and a holiday to boot. Children had been let out of school early in remembrance of those lives lost when Eurasia crashed.

Dodging sugar happy twelve year olds, Zero sighed, tucking himself deeper inside his coat.

It was the stupidest reason humanity had come up with yet to hold a party, ranked right up there with America's old Columbus Day. Yeah, having a party commemorating a guy who missed finding your home continent by over a hundred miles was a _great_ reason to party.

Zero stopped walking.

What was he doing, anyway, besides standing out in the middle of downtown Tokyo and moping in an attempt not to mope about her? If he was going to mope, he might as well head back to base with a few cases of bear and grab X. X was great at moping when he really got into the mood. Second best guy at it next to Zero himself. Best guy completely when it came to distracting him from thoughts of her.

An internal alert cut Zero's plans short. There was a Hunter from his unit nearby -- less than a hundred feet.

Zero felt an eyebrow raise itself in disbelieve as the signal's identity pinged. _Axl? What's he doing all the way down here?_

With nothing better to do with the government enforced holiday, Zero did an about face. Besides, bugging the kid could be fun, and beat the hell out of moping.

Three blocks inside what was teasingly called Kiddy Sector, his internal scanners pinged Axl somewhere in the vicinity of Maverick Wars Villa.

Somehow, Zero wasn't surprised. Maverick Wars Villa was nothing more than a ten story building filled from end to end with all of the two bazillion different variations of every Maverick War that had taken place. He'd caught Axl out-of-armor sneaking into base after curfew on occasion, his pockets stuffed with the fake gold tokens accepted only at the Villa. When Axl had claimed he was doing background research into the past six Wars, Zero had given him The Look, patented, trade marked, and all.

The place was one of the few with no bans on any type of person coming in. Reploid, human, it didn't matter to the Villa so long as you had cash to trade for tokens. Zero accepted that fact, and the fact that over half their games sucked, with a grain of salt, warning Axl that if he were ever caught here again outside curfew than X would be brought in.

Zero chuckled at the old memory. X would have had a power surge just looking at the place and outright keel over if he ever played one of their games, a fact Axl apparently knew as well.

Walking inside, Zero teasingly though over the idea of extending the threat to cover training sessions.

_Nah. That'd be too evil._

Two hours later left him orange haired teen-less, amending his thoughts from _Too Evil_ to _Poetic Justice_.


End file.
